Correlated weather and performance measurement system for extremely high frequency wireless and free space optical communication systems

Abstract

A correlated weather and communication performance measurement system includes a processing system and a communication interface. The communication interface receives performance data and weather data. The performance data indicates communication performance for a plurality of communication systems. The weather data indicates weather conditions for a geographic area including the communication systems. The processing system processes the performance data and the weather data to generate correlated data that correlates in time the communication performance and the weather conditions for each of the communication systems. The communication systems comprise at least one of extremely high-frequency wireless systems and free space optical systems.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A correlated weather and communication performance measurement system comprising: 
       a processing system configured to process performance data that indicates communication performance for a plurality of communication systems and weather data that indicates weather conditions for a geographic area including the communication systems to generate correlated data that correlates in time the communication performance and the weather conditions for each of the communication systems, wherein the communication systems comprise at least one of extremely high-frequency wireless systems and free space optical systems;  
       a communication interface coupled to the processing system and configured to receive the performance data and the weather data; and  
       a stress introduction system configured to create artificial communication stress conditions for the communication systems.  
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the performance measurement system is configured to measure the communication performance of the communication systems. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  wherein the performance measurement system is configured to run a same communication performance test on each of the communication systems at a same time. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a weather measurement system configured to measure the weather conditions for the geographic area including the communication system and transfer the weather data to the communication interface. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a service validation system configured to process the correlated data to compare the communication performance to a service level applicable to the weather conditions correlated to the communication performance. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the communication performance comprises at least one of: received signal power, data rate, bit errors, and availability. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the weather conditions comprise at least one of: fog, precipitation rate, particulate size, visibility, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and humidity. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the communication systems comprise pairs of the communication systems having different ranges between the pairs. 
     
     
       9. A method of operating a correlated weather and communication performance measurement system, the method comprising: 
       receiving performance data that indicates communication performance for a plurality of communication systems, wherein the communication systems comprise at least one of extremely high-frequency wireless systems and free space optical systems;  
       receiving weather data that indicates weather conditions for a geographic area including the communication systems;  
       processing the performance data and the weather data to generate correlated data that correlates in time the communication performance and the weather conditions for each of the communication systems; and  
       creating artificial communication stress conditions for the communication systems.  
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  further comprising measuring the communication performance of the communication systems. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein measuring the communication performance of the communication systems comprises running a same communication performance test on each of the communication systems at a same time. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  further comprising measuring the weather conditions for the geographic area including the communication system. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9  further comprising processing the correlated data to compare the communication performance to a service level applicable to the weather conditions correlated to the communication performance. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9  wherein the communication performance comprises at least one of: received signal power, data rate, bit errors, and availability. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9  wherein the weather conditions comprise at least one of: fog, precipitation rate, particulate size, visibility, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and humidity.